Love Instagram Stories? You are not alone.
There has been a huge increase in the amount of Stories on the platform in the past few months.
This means more competition for those of us who use the Stories in our social media marketing strategies.
We know it’s easy to get stuck for ideas – especially when you’re trying to come up with fresh, unique content. Everyone gets “creators block” from time to time.
We’re here to help you out with a few ideas on how to create top knotch Stories for your Instagram account. Here are five things all influencers do when they create compelling, unique Story content for the ‘gram.
Tell A Story
If your Stories are all about your products and/or services (or swipe up links to your blog) you need to rethink your strategy.
At the end of the day, if you want to grow your audience and be original you need to actually tell a story.
Celebrity hairstylist and Instagram entrepreneur Jen Atkin is an expert at creating awesome Instagram Stories – and she does it by telling stories.
If you check out her Instagram Stories (@jenatkinhair), you can see how she seamlessly blends tidbits of her daily life with promoting The Ouai, her haircare line.
While the average Instagrammer might not be interested in Atkin’s products, they’re likely to stick around and watch behind-the-scenes snaps of red carpet events and her celebrity clientele.
In the meanwhile, Atkin implements product placement techniques within her content. Viewers occasionally see The Ouai haircare making an appearance on Atkin’s Stories feed, without realizing she is being clever with her social media marketing strategy.
It all effortlessly fits in to one story (i.e. Atkin’s life and adventures as a celebrity hairstylist), without coming across as one big sales push.
Make like Jen Atkin, and try to incorporate your brand inside of your Insta-Story’s story.
Have A Plan
The same rule that applies to successful blogging also applies to Instagram – and Instagram Stories.
If you’re serious about growing your audience, you need to post consistently and have a plan of action. Create a posting schedule and stick to it. Know your aesthetic. Keep your personal branding in mind. And don’t jump on a trend bandwagon.
Having a plan is key to growing your audience and owning it at Instagram Stories.
More Isn’t More
When it comes to all things blogging and social media-related, quality is always better than quantity.
At the end of the day it’s better to post fewer quality Stories, instead of bombarding your audience with a constant stream of content.
If you’re creating great content and posting consistently, you’ll see your audience (and followers, and engagement rates) grow.
Never overwhelm your audience.
Get Creative With Apps
It’s tempting to copy another influencer’s Instagram Story style, especially if they share the same niche market as your blog and/or brand.
Considering there are only five different fonts and a handful of filters available to all creators on the platform, keeping your Stories unique can be tough.
Many influencers now edit their images and videos in third-party apps before uploading them to their Stories feed.
For example Dubai-based fashion influencer Dana Hourani (@dana.hourani) has a very unique Story aesthetic that cannot be achieved by the in-app tools Instagram provides.
Considering playing around with apps like InShot, WordSwag, Hypetype, Canva, and others listed here.
Don’t Forget To Tag Your Location
Recently, we’ve seen a lot of influencers and brands cut back on hashtags. Too many tags on an image can make your Instagram Stories look cluttered.
While it’s fine to cut down on unnecessary hashtags, there is one tag you should always include: your location.
This is especially important if you’re looking to tap into your local market or promote brand awareness in a specific city or region.
According to Hootsuite’s blog, “. . . most locations (read: cities) around the world have their own Stories, which are curated by Instagram from posts that contain location tags.”
As long as it doesn’t conflict with your overall social media strategy and Stories game plan, be sure to tag your location at some point within your Story.
What are your tips for creating amazing Instagram Stories? Let us know in the comments below.